ACC Media Days are off and running in Charlotte. Last Word has all the latest news, sound bites, and storylines to get you ready for the 2026 season. Let’s take a few minutes from Charlotte to look at the 2026 ACC quarterbacks.
Who Are The Best 2026 ACC Quarterbacks?
Because this is the age of free agency in college football, we rank the quarterbacks coming in via the Transfer Portal and those who are returning to the same team they took snaps for in 2025.
The Transfers
#1 Darian Mensah: Miami via Duke
There was a question in the writer’s chat about where to rank Mensah. He is technically “returning” to the ACC, but has traded his Blue Devils uniform for “The U’s.” A last-minute “decision” and financial settlement allowed the former Duke quarterback to take his talents to South Beach. Mensah claimed the move wasn’t about the “money” but a “chance to win a Heisman and a “Natty.” Sure, but this is a kid who has upgraded from Tulane to Duke to Miami in recent seasons. Mensah is talented, but will it be enough to give Miami the edge in 2026? Maybe, but we still have our bets that something will go wrong at the last minute.
#2 Walker Eget: Duke via San Jose State
With Mensah gone, Duke needed a quarterback. They looked West and found a pretty good one in Eget. He has a nice arm and did well for San Jose State last year, finishing with more than 3K yards passing and 15 touchdowns. Manny Diaz has done a nice job in Durham and will look to win a second straight ACC championship in 2026 (still at least one more than Miami, but Hoos counting?).
#3 Ashton Daniels: Florida State via Auburn
Daniels is made for rambling. He started his career on “The Farm” at Stanford, then spent some time on “The Plains” at Auburn, before heading to “The Doak” in Tallahassee. He has the ability to hurt opposing defenses with his arms and legs, but has yet to have that breakout or difference-making season. Mike Norvell is hoping that Daniels can be the magic elixir to help turn the fortunes of the ‘Noles. Anything less will spell the end of Norvell’s time in Tallahassee and see Daniels as nothing more than a nice quarterback who could never do enough to push his teams over the top.
The Returners
While plenty of hype can surround the newbies, there is something to be said for the guys who have stuck around at their respective universities.
#4 Mason Heintschel Pitt Panthers
Heintschel was just a freshman in 2025, but showed flashes of promise that give Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers hope in 2026. He took over as the starting quarterback for Pitt in October and led the Panthers to a 7- 2 finish. As a true freshman, he threw for 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions, adding two rushing scores. Narduzzi will always have a good defense. Heinschel could be the key to a special season in the Steel City.
#3 Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Cal Bears
One of the biggest recruiting wins for Tash Lupoi, in his first year, was keeping “JKS” at Cal in 2026. Like Heitschel, JKS was a true freshman who showed out from the start in 2025. As a true freshman, JKS passed for over 3,400 yards and 22 touchdowns, stringing together 178 passes without an interception. Cal has faced an uphill climb in recent years to find relevancy. Lupoi and JKS may be the magic bullet ot help them punch through.
#2 C.J. Bailey NC State Wolfpack
Let’s go, Wolfpack. Usually, this space in these columns is reserved for poking fun at Dave Doren and the Wolfpack. Not so with Bailey. Bailey enters year three as a starter for the Wolfpack and likely has plenty of “options” after last year. But Bailey stated that NC State felt like home. A third year in the system could be the silver bullet to help the Pack find double-digit wins in 2026.
#1 Kevin Jennings SMU Mustangs
How special is Jennings at SMU? Well, Ross Dellenger reported on Thursday that SMU is poised to announce the groundbreaking of the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center. The space will be a new performance space made possible through the support of donors Ann and Malcolm Holland. Usually, those types of honors are reserved for AFTER your playing days. But this is the era of NIL, and there is no time like the present. Jennings will be a key piece if the Mustangs can find themselves playing for another ACC Championship and/or a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Main Photo: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
